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The Green Approach To Horse Care.
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Why do horses kick?
In the past, I might have said – WHO CARES why they kick?! Just stay out of the way of the flying hoof! (Easier said than done, by the way!)
But now that I spend as much time around horses as I do, it’s absolutely essential to be aware of the reasons horses kick, and try to limit those reasons when they are within reach of a human :)
Ask my friend Becky, she is well-aquainted with one of the reasons… an annoyed horse due to improper past training and while Becky was attempting to retrain a behavior… you fill in the blank…
Boo!!!
Ten exercised to become a better equestrian
- Drop a heavy steel object on your foot. Don’t pick it up right away. Shout, “Get off, Stupid, GET OFF!”
- Leap out of a moving vehicle and practice “relaxing into the fall.” Roll lithely into a ball and spring to your feet.
Five steps for winter grooming
All Tennessee horse people dread the winter for 1 main reason…
WINTER = MUDDY HORSES
We are seeing LOTS of this at the Green Barn and we haven’t even reached Turkey Day yet!
Sighhh…
So, in preparation, I am reviewing my protocol* for healthy horse winter grooming:
- Maintain skin health – a curry comb and a shop-vac does wonders!
It’s round bale time!
The horses have told me it’s time for hay in their pastures…
…and I wasn’t terribly concerned about this because I have a FANTASTIC hay supplier with great prices. :)
However, i’ve changed my tune a bit as in 4 SHORT DAYS we went from this:
to this!
Managing manure (does anyone want to know about this?)
I tend to write from my own experiences… meaning, when I learn something – YOU learn something!
And this week, i’m learning about manure… how to manage it, where to put it, what to do with it… lol
One thing is for sure, with 12 horses on the property, there is no shortage of manure.
When your arm gets in the way of your horses teeth…
Poor Jolene’s eyes bugged out of her head when realized she “accidentally” took a chunk out of my arm… to her credit, she was aiming for Smoke :)
LESSON OF THE DAY: Stay alert! Horses can be dangerous, even if they aren’t trying to be!… Continue Reading
To blanket or not to blanket…
That is the question!
It’s getting to be about that time… blanket time.
I’ve been in barns where nobody wears a blanket… EVER…!! “they’re horses! ummm, hello? they’re used to the weather!!!”
…and i’ve been in barns where we have bunches of blankets… i.e.
Welcome “Air” to the Green Barn!
I’m pleased to announce an exciting new addition to the Green Barn!
drumroll………
Meet “Air.”
Air, who is a 9 y.o. Trakehner gelding, graced us with his magnificent presence yesterday…
…all 17.2 hh of him!
I’m thinking he could leap right over my car if he truly wanted to… lol!
Massage therapy… for humans or horses?
I have always been a firm believer in the benefits of massage therapy for MYSELF… oh yes… but for my horse…?
Yes!
Equine Sports Massage Therapy is the therapeutic application of hands-on massage techniques for the purpose of increasing circulation, relaxing muscle spasms, relieving tension, enhancing muscle tone, and increasing range of motion in horses.
You can never be too prepared for colic…
Colic in horses is an umbrella term which specifically refers to “abdominal pain,” more specifically an obstruction or twist within the GI system…
…and if you look at the picture, there is quite a bit of GI system to get twisted!
What is your horse saying to you?
It doesn’t take a genius to tell when a horse is downright angry… his ears are pinned, nostrils flared, eyes wide and crazy… just basically looks like he’s about to trample you, and just might!
But just the other day my husband asked me “why is Serenade standing like that?… Continue Reading